


Reunions

by Linkfanfiction



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26188141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linkfanfiction/pseuds/Linkfanfiction
Summary: A work in progress that has been shelved, but I thought I would post it to inspire me to continue. It isn't much but I hope you enjoy what is there.
Relationships: Raven Branwen & Ruby Rose
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	Reunions

“What brings you to Mistral?”

The young huntress downed her Strawberry Sunrise, a drink that was a staple to a certain sunny little dragon. But in this tavern, at this time, it was the younger of the Rose Xiao-Long sisters who partook in the beverage. 

It wasn’t common for Ruby to order liquor, her body was not suited to handle the effects of commercialized poison, but she craved a little of it’s courage to counter the tension that had been brewing in her belly since she had entered the eastern kingdom. Alongside these rumblings, her soles had managed to become all but worn out, the weight of all the stressful scenarios leaked into her boots as she trekked across the vast forest floor.

“I uh… don’t entirely know actually.” The rose said to her glass. Her eyes briefly met with the barkeep, but retreated back down as a frown settled on his face.

“Well, by the looks of your clothes and the steel on your waist, I would have to assume you’re a huntress! We don’t get too many of you out here. Mind wheting my curiosity with a story of your heroics? The next drink will be on the house if you do.”

The bartender seemed kind enough to Ruby, though the same couldn’t be said about the establishment’s patrons. She was well aware of the distasteful glares several of them had given her. Haven’s opinion of huntsman had fallen since Leonardo's betrayal. For while the incident of treason was covered up, the lack of graduates patrolling the kingdom caused unrest in the surrounding villages, not enough available due to the systematic killings that had befallen them during the war with Salem.

“No thanks!” Ruby replied quickly, but felt bad as she saw the bartender frown once again. “Sorry, it just doesn’t seem like I am very welcome here, so I think I should probably leave.”

Ruby slid a generous few lien across the counter before spinning off the stool, but she was stopped at the door as a man -who could only be described as “washed up”- whistled for her attention.

“Don’t let the onlookers get to you lass. They’re just upset because you came late to the show.” 

His words sounded like they had been choked on, but settled as he took another swig of beer. Ruby leaned up against the opposite wall and conjured a look of curious inquiry, prompting the battered man to continue. 

“There was another huntress here not an hour ago. Left a bad taste in our mouths that one, took advantage of our kingdom’s lack of huntsman and charged a premium for her services.”

The curiosity faded into more anxiety, she was getting close to her goal now. But what she would say, or whether a fight was ahead remained uncertain to her.

“Which way did they go?” The rose asked. Only to be met by an open palm.

“Money talks more than mouths around-”

Without hesitation, Ruby had already laid another round’s worth of Lien into the greasy hand. A small shocked grinn adorned the ranger’s face before he pocketed it, and leaned forward to whisper in the rose’s ear.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruby entered the clearing to witness the slaughter of beowolves; a spectacle taking place just north the village grounds. Unfortunately, even with the fall of Salem, grimm had still remained present in remnant. Their numbers grew just as they had before, and when led by a fierce alpha, the herd would only continue to grow thicker.

At least, until a bolt of lightning was brought down the leader, summoned by one who used to lead a tribe just as fearsome a leader not two years ago.

Raven Brawnwen no longer cared about hiding her powers. She had nothing left to fear, nor anything left to lose.

The rose was hesitant to approach, her instincts as a huntress told her to assist the bandit, slaying creatures of grimm always was a worthy cause. But given her history with her aunt, and her family’s history with fire dust blades, she found it best to watch from the sidelines. And while she herself didn’t mind the prospect of a robotic arm, her father wouldn’t be able to handle the heartache of another daughter losing a limb. That is, should Raven not try and sever her head from her shoulders.

She found herself sitting wearily on the hillside, awed by the fighting style of a master huntress at work. Ruby let herself enjoy the moment of the calming storm of battle, knowing that her dread would come right back, and the real battle would begin when Raven’s blade was finally sheathed.

Grimm limbs flew up in the air, more lightning came down as an entire storm swirled around the battlefield.

Shards of ice severed grimm tendons, gales cut deep enough to draw blood.

The last embers of dust settled into ash. 

The two huntresses were all that were left in the field, and from what Ruby could tell, Raven was unaware of her presence. 

“Come on Ruby, you made it this far, you don’t get to back out now.” The girl argued with herself, a spirited debate bouncing around the girl’s head. “Oh god, this was a TERRIBLE idea! Yang doesn’t want to see her, much less dad! If you bolt now, she won’t have time to cut you in half!”

As the debate festered further, a final beowolf drew itself out of the woods behind her. Being an experienced huntress, a single beowolf proved simple to outmaneuver, and blast a high caliber round though it’s torso. Yet as the beowolf fell dead, so too did any semblance of stealth she once possessed.

Ruby brought her eyes up from the grimm, locking eyes with a much more intimidating set of red irises. A heavy hand rested on the hilt’s end, patiently awaiting the order to decimate the wilted rose that stood before the bandit. 

Eventually, in what felt like an eternity to Ruby, Raven’s body caught up to her mind’s rhythm, and the bitter digits uncurled and fell from the pommel. Her boot’s led her head away from the rose, and began their trek towards the next vulnerable, and exploitable hamlet.

Ruby felt the shock lift a little off her shoulders. She was just offered the ultimate out, her aunt indifferent to her presence. There was no snide comment about her mother, no fireball hurled at her by a power hungry maiden. Once again, she could just leave. The young hunteress would never have to tell her sister about this potential wound she could have reopened. Tonight would just be the night she saw the brutal and exciting slaughter of a whole pack of beowolves by an unnamed huntress.

Though like Raven’s boots, Ruby’s had a mission as well, and readorned the shocking weight as they lugged her feet through the sunken snow the Grimm faced woman had left behind.

The sound of crunching ice rang louder than her aunt’s storms had, and each step closer to the ghast-like soldier made her feel like she was walking further into a vacuum; quaking heartbeats tore through her form.

By the time she had grown a mere six steps away, the elder huntress refused to make any more, and slowly turned to face the rosy faced savior of remnant. 

“If you’re looking for a mother, child, I suggest scamper back to the one I watched my brother bury.” Raven spat, the distaste for Summer just at the back of her throat. “You won’t receive any kindness from me.”

That cruelty was expected of the far side of her family tree, but it stung all the same. Ruby’s breath was a little heavier as she responded.

“I don’t need another mom, and Yang doesn’t either.”

Raven turned to look at Ruby through her grimm mask, lowering the rose’s head to her shoes.

“I’m here because you’re family, and I think-”

“Family?” An almost sinister chuckle came from the estranged aunt. “Last time I saw my brother, he told me I was no longer part of your pathetic “family”.”

But the young huntress only grimmanced. She could have been snide, pointing out that Raven’s “family” of thieves and killers was just a pile of ash amidst a cindered camp.

“Right… well, we’re related, blood for not.”

Ruby didn’t believe her own words, this sloth mercenary was nothing like her departed mother, and shared nothing but grief between her father and sister. If there was anyone she could bear resemblance to it was her uncle, but even then the crimson in his eyes reigned much kinder than her own.

“Hmph, you aren’t as good at lying as you might think.”

Winter bit down on the younger huntress, a single snowy gust was long enough for Raven to attempt an escape. Though a moment of cruel embarrassment caused it to fail, realizing she no longer had anyone to aid her semblance. The portal of blood sparked and flickered in it’s birth, and died quickly as if a flame amidst their blizzard.

“Oh no you don’t!”

The shattering round of a rifle broke the tension between the two. Rather than a pestering member of her extended family, Ruby had suddenly become a threat. The elder huntress found that issue to be simple as she drew her blade, and her aura already up to block the bullet.

A shot that would never come for her however, as Ruby had sent the round behind her. Instead Raven’s blade was lost in a thicket of vicious petals, burning those that came in contact before feeling it ripped away from her body. Once the younger had re-materialized however, the fight was lost. An attempt to pin was met with a much more advanced form of hand to hand combat, and left scratched and soot covered huntress to be knelt upon in the snow.

“You’re making it very difficult to not sever your head.” Raven muttered, knowing that Ruby’s death would not prove to benefit her. Instead she ruffled through her sheath, gradually having been emptied without the means of restocking. Eventually the last bit of light blue the cylinder had possessed made its way to her hand, and was driven though the young woman’s boot, crawling up to cover her leg in it’s fury.

Raven didn’t bother to address her further, this time leaving behind only a feather for the rose to find as she became lost amidst the storm.


End file.
